Keeping your pet healthy with regular exercise is not only good for him but good for you, too! Here, a few simple ways to make working out with your pet easy and fun.

Research shows that when you exercise your pet, you reap the benefits, too. In fact, in one recent study that put owners and their pets on an exercise plan, more than half of the people dropped pounds  and the dogs did even better, with nearly all of them losing weight. Getting a pet moving is important because 20 to 44 percent of America's cats and dogs are overweight or obese. "The health problems caused by obesity are the same we see with people: joint and muscle pain, impaired cardiac function and respiration, cancer and diabetes," says Stephen Zawistowski, executive vice president for ASPCA and a certified applied animal behaviorist. Not only that, he explains, "Fat pets tend to be cranky, because it's physically uncomfortable for them to move."

To coax exercise out of even the laziest animal, make it a predinner routine. This mimics natural predatory behavior, since wild animals hunt when hungry and are rewarded with a meal. Bonus: A tired pet means less chance of late-night awakenings for you.

Dog Fitness

Remember, unless you're a marathoner, it's virtually impossible for an adult to run a dog until he's had enough exercise. Luckily, a good game of fetch with a tennis ball, a ball of old socks, a thick rope with a knot in it, or even a short length of garden hose (no need for fancy pet toys) will be terrifically invigorating for him  and you. To know that Fido's gotten a good workout, run him until his tongue hangs out, says Zawistowski.

Cat Fitness

Cats may not take well to being walked outside, but a few indoor games can help them get exercise (and be infinitely entertaining for you, too!). Put your kitty though her paces by bouncing a Ping-Pong ball across the floor or shining a laser pointer around the room for her to chase. Or go "cat-fishing": Fill a baby sock with shredded paper or cotton balls and tie it to a yardstick with a length of string.

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